Sincere apologies to the wonderful readers of this column as it momentarily shifts its approach in this week’s edition to honour one distinguished personality and quintessential gentleman that added another year recently.
Thursday, 23 October, 2014 will remain a memorable day in the life of Rt Hon Goodluck Nanah Opiah, the Speaker Emeritus of the Imo State House of Assembly. Not just because every 23rd day of October is his birthday or he had a successful air travel with Arik airline from Abuja to Lagos that particular day but the surprise package that greeted him on arrival from Abuja to his house in New Owerri area of the state capital.
Because of the heightened political activities and the attendant election-induced manoevuring ahead the fast approaching next year’s general election, Opiah, a seasoned politician who is favoured to clinch the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for Ohaji/Egbema, Oguta and Oru West Federal Constituency for 2015 election can be said to have paid little or no attention to his sacred day of October 13 for year 2014. However, it was a different ball game on arrival to Owerri that day as some friends and associates who can best be described as the former lawmaker’s “inner caucus” team staged an ambush to give him a surprise birthday package.
While Rt Hon Opiah was in Abuja preparing to fly home, some of his concerned allies gathered to plot a resounding and brief birthday bash. A beautiful well designed cake was procured, expensive wines and spirits put in place with accompanying chewable to savour the day. The stage was for the “ambush was set and Opiah’s flight was monitored from boarding in Abuja and arrival in Owerri. Oblivious of what was in stock at the home front, the former number three citizen of Imo raced home from the airport to have a little rest before proceeding to undertake other relevant responsibilities waiting for him in Imo.
Indications that Opiah was not aware of the birthday show piece emerged when he put a call across to my humble self informing me that his flight has touched ground at the Sam Mbakwe Airport, Owerri.
As his Chief Press Secretary, CPS, during his days as Speaker of the Imo Assembly, we struck an accord that went beyond master-servant relationship. The end result or rather by-product of that association is that the degree of our affinity deepened. It was the close-knit affair that made him to inform me of his arrival in Owerri from his Abuja base. While on phone I welcomed him and expressed happiness for his safe flight but feigned ignorance about the birthday gig waiting for him since he sounded ignorant of the bash, and the “inner caucus” planned the arrangement as a surprise package.
But trust my “Oga” who is not the type you can catch unawares. Anybody who had associated or still dealing with Opiah knows that he has a special gift and knack to detonate surprises. That was where we had difficulties executing the surprise package. Within our group as we gathered in his house, what was on the lips of many was “Oga must know our plan” even as it was agreed he should not know.
However, when his convoy approached his Opiah crescent road in New Owerri area, according to his driver, who I confronted later to know what transpired on their way back, the former speaker suspected foul play on noticing litany of cars parked near his house.
Though it is not unusual to see cars parked in his domain because of his charming personality and magnetic attributes that draw people close to him, but Opiah still remained ruffled and restless. Despite getting assurances from his close aides who were part of his itinerary from the airport back home and those at the home front that nothing was amiss, the House of Reps bound politician applied precautionary measures to evade an unwarranted scene.
The Speaker emeritus applied psychic means to decode why the gathering in his main parlour by using another route to pace upstairs and launched into his living room thereby beating our trap downstairs
Few moments later, he fell to the ploy and was lured downstairs to be treated to a wonderful birthday package arranged by few of his former mates in the House of Assembly like Hon Nze Ray Emeana, who represented Owerri North and former House Committee chairman on Information and Inter Parliamentary Relations and Hon Peter Ezeala. Ezeala has been Opiah’s buddie since 2003 when they met in the House of Assembly. Ezeala represented Ideato South. Also in the surprise package team were his principal officers when he was the Speaker like Hon Henry Aguguo, now Ohaji/Egbema LGA PDP chairman, Prince Marcel Amadioha his SA on Domestic Affairs and my humble self, the CPS.
The women folk were not left out in marking another year for a unique fellow. Leading the pack is Dr Mrs Nina Nwulu, a House of Assembly aspirant of PDP for Ohaji/Egbema, Lady Oby Ajoku, popularly known as Ada Ohaji, Mrs Priscilla Osuoha and Ij, Oga’s longtime secretary.
The “boys” were there too. From Tega, James to Tallest and the rest, it was fun and ecstasy with choice drinks available to savour the memorable day.
Opiah was astonished and ran short of words when it was time to make his speech after cutting the birthday cake. It was difficult for him to utter a word as he ended up thanking his associates for finding him worthy to be celebrated. It was tears of joy for him that after several years of partnership, he was still considered good enough to be honoured and remembered.
The birthday bash was not only a remarkable event but also a significant indicator that every good work has a reward. In this era where anybody that is out of power is not reckoned with, Opiah who has been commanding unquantifiable followership in his constituency and beyond was remembered by his people who consider him as an able leader, benefactor, and a role model.
His rich pedigree in quality leadership, service to humanity and mankind is unmatchable, no wonder he still attracts the respect and followership of people from his area and beyond. In society where people in power are easily relegated and forgotten when they are out, Opiah remains as constant as the Northern star.
And what could be the magnetic attributes that attract people to Opiah. After his birth, Opiah began his academic journey by attending Abacheke Primary School and later Egbema Secondary School for Primary and Post Primary Education respectively. He later proceeded to the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Nkpolu, Port Harcourt, where he bagged a Bsc Hons in Business Administration in flying colours. To pep up his academic qualification, Opiah has obtained many post graduates certificates.
On completion of his National Youth Service Scheme in Abia State, Opiah gained employment in BEWAC Auto Plc, where he rose to the rank of a Manager. Having noticed his unequal contributions to the growth of the society and support to the community, it became imperative that his services were needed by his people who were in dire need of political leadership. Before delving into politics, Opiah was and still remains a major provider for his people. His philanthropic gestures touched all lives. While less privileged felt his altruistic gestures, the youths are beneficiaries of several welfare and empowerment packages including the annual community football competition in his Abacheke Community.
The persistent protest from his people enjoining him to come and serve forced Opiah to join the murky terrain of politics. In tandem with his name, Goodluck, Opiah’s first attempt was successful when he not only picked PDP ticket to run for the 2003 election for the Imo State House of Assembly but also went ahead to win the election to become the Ohaji/Egbema “man in Owerri”.
Expectedly, within his first four years in office, Opiah entrenched enviable records by proving his people right for requesting him to come to their rescue. His first tenure witnessed a paradigm shift in the political history of Ohaji/Egbema people when the voice of the oil producing community was heard for the first time on the floor of the House and their endangered specie status in Imo family eliminated. Apart from ensuring that multinational oil producing firms like Shell were meant to respect the Memorandum of Understanding, MOU, it entered into with Ohaji/Egbema communities, Opiah solely sponsored the Bill for a law creating the historic Imo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, ISOPADEC, meant to act as an interventionist body to oil producing areas of Imo. Using the instrument of the legislature, Opiah ensured that Shell Chief Executives appeared on the floor of the House to explain reasons why it abandoned a legitimate MOU entered into with Ohaji/Egbema communities in the past. That singular act by Opiah yielded fruits when shell and other multinational firms changed approach in dealing with their host communities in Imo state.
For ISOPADEC that has become beacon of hope for the two oil producing areas of Oguta and Ohaji/Egbema, Opiah has to go extra mile in early 2007 to ensure that ISOPADEC came into place to abrogate the insignificant 13% oil derivation policy of the federal government, behind to be an exploitative tendency to undermine the interest of oil producing areas.
Exploring his political sagacity as a thorough bred lawmaker, Opiah requested the support of other lawmakers across the three zones to ensure ISOPADE Bill aimed to better the lives of his people was passed into law. Today, the commission remains a watershed in the live of oil producing communities of Imo as successive administrations retained the organ.
Aside the ISOPADEC law, Opiah was also responsible for sponsoring the Bill for law against discrimination of people living with HIV/AIDS as well other people-oriented motions.
Opiah’s scintillating performances in his four-year stint guaranteed him a back-to-back ticket to the House of Assembly which he won convincingly in 2007. As a rare breed nourished with legislative ingenuity, his colleagues in the Fifth House, Fourth Assembly found him worthy to be elected Speaker. Opiah’s political legislative know-how continued to manifest as Speaker even as constituency representation became his watchword.
His desire to deliver democracy dividends to Ohaji/Egbema and indeed sister LGA, of Oguta informed the setting up of Bureau for Niger Delta in Imo state with somebody from the oil producing area incharge between 2007-2011.
Unfortunately, the Niger Delta bureau has been scrapped after it was reduced and cut to size from Special Adviser status to mere Personal Assistant office at the birth of the present government. Before going into extinction, the Niger Delta bureau acted as an inter-face between Imo state government and federal agencies like the Niger Delta Ministries and Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC. Remarkably, ongoing federal road projects and establishments in Imo state, especially in Ohaji/Egbema and Oguta are traceable to the bureau that was Opiah’s creation.
Aside from the Niger Delta Bureau, Opiah among other things ensured that Michael Okpara College of Agriculture & Technology, Umuagwo in his constituency was raised from a monotechnic to polytechnic status and renamed Imo State Polytechnic, Umuagwo. The first law he hit his gavel to stamp authority of the state legislature in 2007 few weeks after becoming Speaker was the law changing the status of the school.
Infrastructural developments were not also left out. Opiah ensured that the 6 kilometre Obosima-Ohuba road in Ohaji as well as the Assah-Ikwerede road was executed. While Egbema Communities benefited from ISOPADEC-funded construction of Abacheke ring roads without forgetting the Modern Skills Acquisition Centre, Abezi, Egbema and ultra modern Housing scheme at Umuagwo through federal connections.
Going down memory, to recount Opiah’s giant strides might need more spaces which this newspaper and column can not afford for now. But this factors may have endeared him to the heart of many and for this reason, he is enjoying solid support and encouragement to run for the Ohaji/Egbema, Oguta and Oru West House of Reps under PDP, to continue his good works as a servant leader of the people come 2015.
